Springtime productions special charity fund raising process

ABSTRACT

Springtime Productions LLC has developed a unique charity fundraising methodology. The methodology consists of a qualified non-profit organization conducting a statewide raffle to raise funds with the holders of grand prize winning tickets being awarded a seat in a special poker tournament. The raffle would award a specified number of seats at the poker tournament. The poker tournament consists of a limited field, which is comprised of the grand prize winners together with a comparable number of professional poker players and Hollywood or professional sports celebrities. The poker tournament participants will play for a substantial purse with the eventual champion will collect the first prize of approximately fifty percent (50%) of the total purse with every participant guaranteed a minimum prize of approximately one-half of one (0.5%) percent of the total purse.

OVERVIEW

Springtime Productions LLC has developed a unique charity fundraising methodology. The methodology consists of a qualified non-profit organization conducting a statewide raffle to raise funds with the holders of grand prize winning tickets being awarded a seat in a special poker tournament. The raffle would award a specified number of seats at the poker tournament. The poker tournament consists of a limited field, which is comprised of the grand prize winners together with a comparable number of professional poker players and Hollywood or professional sports celebrities. The poker tournament participants will play for a substantial purse with the eventual champion will collect the first prize of approximately fifty percent (50%) of the total purse with every participant guaranteed a minimum prize of approximately one-half of one (0.5%) percent of the total purse.

The Law

The Springtime Productions methodology conforms to state law that permits the use of raffles for fundraising with minimal restrictions on the scope of the raffle such as exemplified by California Penal Code section 320.5. In many states, raffles are permitted; however, the law frequently restricts the scope of such raffles by limiting the prize that can be offered or the amount that can be charged per raffle ticket. While section 320.5, has restrictions, there are no limits on the size of the prize that can be offered or ticket price. The only significant restrictions imposed on the non-profit organization by Section 320.5 include

-   -   Ninety percent (90%) of the raffle ticket sales must be used for         charitable purposes     -   Raffle ticket proceeds must be used in California     -   Raffle ticket sales may not be sold over the internet

Section 320.5 also sets forth other requirements including registration and reporting to the California Department of Justice and certain limitations on how the charity can promote the raffle and sell tickets.

THE RAFFLE Structure

The fundraising raffle consists of a number of separate raffles within one. Rather than drawing one or more grand prize winning tickets from one large barrel containing all tickets, the Raffle will be split into a specified number of separate raffles, or drawings. One Grand Prize winning ticket will be drawn from each barrel. To give ticket buyers an incentive, when a ticket buyer buys a specified number of raffle tickets at full price, the ticket buyer will receive an extra bonus ticket free. Each ticket buyer will have to decide two things: (1) how many tickets to buy and (2) into which barrels to deposit those tickets. To create a sense of urgency for the ticket buyer, as well as to establish finite odds of winning in the public's perception, each barrel will be limited to a maximum of a specified number of tickets. Sales for each barrel will continue until the established ticket sales cutoff date (approximately sixteen days before the grand prize drawing), or when all the specified maximum number of raffle tickets for each barrel have been sold, whichever occurs first. By structuring the Raffle in this manner, ticket buyers will have the opportunity to allocate their chances of winning—a powerful incentive to poker players who love to gamble.

Ticket Pricing

Raffle tickets will sell for a specified price with the ticket proceeds paid directly to the non-profit organization conducting the raffle and deposited into a segregated bank account.

Geographic Scope

The Raffle will be conducted under authorizing state law and limited to ticket sales within that state so as to avoid implicating federal and other state laws.

Raffle Prizes and Drawings

In addition to the grand prize drawing, the Raffle will also offer a number of preliminary cash prizes. Over a period of weeks prior to the grand prize drawing, a specified number of tickets will be drawn from each barrel with a cash prize being awarded to the winners. Each of the preliminary cash prize winning tickets will be re-deposited into its respective drawing barrel so that the ticket will be eligible for all subsequent cash prize and grand prize ticket drawings.

Raffle Ticket Fulfillment Procedures

Raffle tickets are two-part perforated pre-printed forms, consisting of the Raffle ticket and the ticket stub. Each Raffle ticket will be color coded to correspond with its designated drawing barrel and the Raffle ticket serial number will be bar coded onto the Raffle ticket and stub. The Raffle ticket will be shipped to the ticket buyer along with a receipt. The ticket stub will be detached from the Raffle ticket and deposited in the properly designated drawing barrel. Each ticket will be printed with a unique serial number printed on both parts of the Raffle ticket—ticket and stub. In addition, each Raffle ticket will be color coded to correspond with its designated drawing barrel and the Raffle ticket serial number will be bar coded onto the Raffle ticket and stub.

Poker Tournament

Each of the Grand Prize winners will win the right to play in a special poker tournament. The Raffle Grand Prize winners will compete with a specified number of professional poker players and celebrity players. The poker tournament will offer a multi-million dollar prize fund with the tournament champion winning approximately fifty percent (50%) of the total prize fund and all participants guaranteed a minimum prize of approximately one-half of one (0.5%) percent of the total prize fund.

Players

A unique feature of the Poker Tournament lies in the size of the field and the guaranteed prize money.

The Professional Poker Player Auction

In addition to the Raffle Grand Prize winners, a number of the Tournament players will be top professional poker and celebrity players who will bid for and buy a seat at a special charity auction. 

1. The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: A charity fundraising method comprising: a statewide raffle consisting of multiple drawing barrels with each drawing barrel offering as a grand prize a seat at a special poker tournament where 40% to 60% of the tournament field consists of the raffle grand prize winners and the remainder of the poker tournament field consists of professional poker players or celebrities who purchase their seats at the special poker tournament at an auction. 